Disease in wildlife or exotic speciesPathological and Microbiological Findings in Fatal Cases of Salmonellosis in Captive Bothrops Snakes in Southern Brazil
Introduction
Salmonella spp. are gram-negative, aerobic and intracellular facultative bacilli of the Enterobacteriaceae family (Ministério da Saúde, 2011). Salmonellosis is a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease well known for its potential for transmission through animal feed, unprocessed agricultural products and untreated water (Fornazari and Teixeira, 2009). Asymptomatic animal carriers are an important source of infection and can excrete the bacteria after stressful events (Fornazari and Teixeira, 2009; Hardt et al, 2017).
Reptiles are natural reservoirs of Salmonella spp., and 16%–92% of snakes can be infected (Chiodini and Sundberg, 1981). Salmonella infections are usually associated with the subspecies salamae, arizonae, diarizonae and houtenae (Fornazari and Teixeira, 2009). Transmission to humans can occur via direct contact with faeces or other animal excretions, or indirectly from contaminated enclosures or fomites (Warwick et al, 2001). The main clinical signs in reptiles are anorexia, diarrhoea, weight loss and lethargy, and the most common lesions are yellowish fibrinonecrotic plaques and button-shaped ulcers in the small and large intestines, and hepatic multifocal granulomas and necrosis (Fornazari and Teixeira, 2009). Pneumonia, osteomyelitis, osteoarthritis, epicarditis, granulomatous myocarditis and liver abscesses are also frequent findings (Fornazari and Teixeira, 2009).
The aim of this study was to describe the macroscopic, microscopic, immunohistochemical and microbiological aspects of fatal cases of salmonellosis in snakes.
Section snippets
Materials and Methods
A retrospective survey of confirmed and suspected cases of salmonellosis in snakes was carried out using material from the archive of necropsy records of the Department of Veterinary Pathology of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (SPV-UFRGS) during the period January 2011 to December 2018. Snakes with a final diagnosis of salmonellosis were selected, in addition to suspected cases that had lesions of enteritis, hepatitis and septicaemia. The data collected included species,
Survey and Reassessment of Cases
From January 2011 to December 2018, 51 necropsies of snakes were performed at the SPV-UFRGS, with 80.4% represented by the genus Bothrops (41/51). Of these, 14 were Bothrops pubescens (27.5%), 11 Bothrops jararaca (21.6%), 10 Bothrops alternatus (19.6%) and six Bothrops diporus (11.7%). Ten cases presented with lesions suggestive of salmonellosis and therefore were included in this study (19.6% of the series of snake necropsies [10/51]). All 10 cases came from captive collections, such as
Discussion
Salmonella spp. are normal components of the intestinal microbiota, with 90% or more of reptiles being carriers (Warwick et al, 2001). Salmonellosis is also an important cause of death in snakes and, in this study, corresponded to 19.6% of the snake necropsies during the 8 years of the study. Depending on the homeostasis of the host, its handling, the environment and feeding conditions, reptiles can live without manifesting the disease or excreting the bacteria. However, exacerbated growth of
Acknowledgments
M Bertolini was supported by an extension fellowship granted by the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (project registration number 36614). The authors thank the staff of the Department of Veterinary Pathology of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, and the biologist AB Winter.
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